Mona Lisa guards at Louvre art gallery in Paris to strike for more pay to compensate for stress

Guards at the Louvre art gallery in Paris have voted in favour of strike action, demanding an extra £100 (150 euros) a month to compensate for the stress of looking after Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting of the Mona Lisa.

The 60 guards claim the enigmatic portrait is more popular than ever since the success of The Da Vinci Code film, starring Tom Hanks and Audrey Tatou, last year (below).

A spokesman for the guards said: “There are so many people all trying to take photos and wanting to see the picture that those who have Mona Lisa duty are under enormous stress.” The Louvre received an estimated 8.3 million visitors last year.